1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices and methods for use in a ligament repair or replacement surgical procedure for fitting and mounting a ligament graft end in a prepared ligament tunnel.
2. Prior Art
In a practice of an arthroscopic surgical procedure for repair or replacement on an anterior or posterior cruciate ligament, that the invention is suitable for use in, a pair of tunnel sections are drilled into the distal femur and proximal tibia, respectively, to intersect the ligament points of origin.
In which procedure a system is provided for fitting a ligament graft in the tunnel sections, securing one end therein and applying a desired tension to the other ligament end and securing it. A number of systems have been developed to provide for fitting a ligament graft end into which tunnel sections, including a mounting of a ligament graft end to a device for pulling it through a tunnel section end. One such device is a suture sling that is suitable for such use and can be arranged for use with the present invention.
Such a suture sling can be utilized with the present invention that is mounted to a bone end of a bone tendon bone graft. The suture sling is used for pulling a graft bone end through aligned tunnel sections with the ligament mounting of the present invention secured to the suture sling and for mounting in the ligament tunnel or at a tunnel end.
Additionally, one or both of the inventors have heretofore developed a number of cruciate ligament mounting arrangements and methods such as, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,772,286; 4,870,957; 4,927,421; 4,997,433; 5,129,902; 5,147,362 and Re. 34,293, and other persons have also developed ligament graft mountings, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,301,551; 4,605,414; 4,744,793; 4,950,270 and 5,139,520. None of which earlier devices, arrangements and methods, however, have involved a device secured to a ligament end to slide through a footing to lock thereto that, for the invention, includes a combination of the straight flexible strap and footing and includes locking members for locking the strap in the footing, which strap, in turn, connects to a suture sling or other ligament attachment arrangement, nor have such earlier devices and arrangements taught a method like that of the invention.
While graft attachment and anchoring devices have been heretofore utilized, and such an arrangement for anchoring a ligament graft in a ligament replacement procedure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,301 such provides a footing only and teaches a complicated draw string arrangement that is different to use and secure and is unlike the strap and footing of the invention and its use. Also while strap and footings have been heretofore used, and examples of such arrangements and their uses are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,306,301; 5,500,000; and 5,520,691, such have been as mounting for securing an item, such as a ligament suture, or the like onto a bone surface, none have utilized a sliding strap and footing with a locking arrangement combination, along with a ligament end tether such as a suture sling arrangement, or the like, to easily adjust tension on and mount a bone tendon bone type ligament graft, or the like, in a tunnel section proximate to or at a tunnel segment cortex end, that is like that of the present invention.